Bluffing with a pair.

[dsaxton]

This guy seemed like a fairly tight, mediocre player from what I'd seen. In this hand, I decided to check-raise 4th to try to get heads-up with a pretty solid draw, and then kept the lead on each street and opted to bluff the river. Opinions?

7 Card Stud High ($5/$10), Ante $0.50, Bring-In $2 (converter)

3rd Street - (0.60 SB)

Hero: 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 3: xx xx 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___brings-in___calls
Seat 4: xx xx J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___folds
Seat 6: xx xx 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___folds
Seat 7: xx xx T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___raises
Seat 8: xx xx 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___folds

4th Street - (3.60 SB)

Hero: 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___checks___raises
Seat 3: xx xx 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___checks___folds
Seat 7: xx xx T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___bets___calls

5th Street - (3.80 BB)

Hero: 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___bets
Seat 7: xx xx T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___calls

6th Street - (5.80 BB)

Hero: 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___bets
Seat 7: xx xx T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___calls

River - (7.80 BB)

Hero: 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___bets
Seat 7: xx xx T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] xx

Total pot: (9.80 BB)

[Andy B]

Guy calls a completion out of the bring-in and then catches a suited card on fourth. I wouldn't expect him to fold for a raise even if a few of his suit were gone. Glad he did, though. I might slow down on sixth and I'd probably check the river.

[dsaxton]

So you recommend just check-calling 4th? I think I may've been on tilt when I played this hand.

[CarlosChadha]

[ QUOTE ]
So you recommend just check-calling 4th? I think I may've been on tilt when I played this hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

If the bring in has a pair below 9s, and the other guy actually has Ts, then you are actually better off with the lower pair in there to suck out his equity (it is the Ts that get hurt the most by the lower pair). If the bring in was on a diamond draw, he got there and is not going to fold (and you are in 3rd play in the hand, although not too baddly because of your over cards and the dead diamonds). The main reason you want the 2 out is if you think the guy with the ten might have been stealing and that 9s are good.

Given that the T raised in a steal poisiton, I'd probably reraise him with what might be the best hand on 3rd (and if not, a hand that you are going to the river with anyhow). Calling is not horrible though.

On 4th your Jd is not as scary as it normally would be because the diamonds are dead and so is a jack. But, the ten did rag off, so I'd probably go ahead and bet 4th in case he was on a steal (because he is going to check behind you if he wasn't). Once you check and he bets, you can guess that he is probably not stealing, so I'd just call.

Your board is pretty scary on 5th, but he still calls with a ragged board, so I would slow down on 6th and just hope to get a free card. This is especially true if your opponent suspects you might be tilting, in which case he is going to be more inclined to call you down. Once you bet 6th, I think the river bluff is okay.

If you were going to bluff him out, I would do it by trying a check raise on 5th...that way, you either get a free card with the worst hand (when he checks behind on 5th) or you might get him to fold bare tens (if looks like you caught a straight). Also, you are slmost even money on 5th w/ 3 overcards, so you don't mind getting two bets in the pot. Plus a check raise on 5th will almost certainly get you a free card on 6th if you need it (no one likes to get check raised 3 times in a row;-).

Carlos

[Bill King]

i think theres a significant chance your raise actually could have bought yourself a free card on 6th if you check, but i think you picked a good spot to put your head down and hammer, this is very player dependant also im sure you're aware of this.